The Goddess Who Turned to Stone (2024)

Contents

The Statue in the Dungeons
A Goddess's Gift
We Remember

The Statue in the Dungeons

It's a familiar sight to any adventurer who's braved a dungeon: the winged goddess, knelt as if in prayer, her sword held in both hands. A vision of peace and safety in a place of strife-- but you may find a hint of sorrow in her eyes. Just who is this enigmatic goddess, and why is she commemorated in such a way? The answer is a tale of war, desperation, and sacrifice in times past-- the tale of the Goddess Morrighan.

Long ago, humankind lived in a state of constant attack from the dark forces of the Fomors. It was a time of great fear. Countless innocents were killed or enslaved by Fomorian attack. Many brave souls attempted to fight back, but the Fomor army was too powerful, and humans were no match.

Our current era of peace and prosperity was ushered in during teh second of two wars that raged across the plains now called Sen Mag, then known as Mag Tuireadh. But to tell the tale of the Goddess Morrighan, we must cast our eyes back to a darker time, the First Battle of Mag Tuireadh...

A Goddess's Gift

Morrighan is one of a trio of goddesses who hold sway over aspects of life in Erinn. Morrighan herself is a Goddess of War and Vengeance-- but despite her title, she is neither violent nor vicious. She blesses soldiers on their way to battle, bolstering their courage, and she helps warriors who are wounded and wronged to seek revenge. So deep is her love and compassion for humans that she's stepped in to protect us every time the Fomors threatened to crush us.

One such time was the end of the First Battle of Mag Tuireadh. Though it appeared at first to be a war between two human clans, the Tuatha de Danann and the Fir Bolg, in truth the cunning Fomors were using the Fir Bolg army to whittle away at the Tuatha de Dananns' strength.

Thankfull, with the might of Nuadha, the great Tuatha de Danann warrior and king, the war was turning against the beguiled Fir Bolgs. Victory was close at hand for the Tuatha de Danann when the armies met for one final clash. But in the heat of the battle, a Fir Bolg warrior named Sreng managed to sever Nuadha's arm.

The injured Nuadha was swept away by his worried troops, and taken to recuperate in a Rath, a type of stronghold used in the war against the Fomors. Although victory still seemed most assured, many Tuatha de Danann warriors began to panic to see their king injured and their army seemingly on the retreat.

Panic and confusion only grew when the Fomorian army sprung their trap. They were lying in wait for the Tuatha de Danann leader to retreat to the Rath. Deep in the stronghold where refugees, soldiers, and even the wounded king rested unguarded, a secret passageway opened from the land of the Fomors. Without warning, they poured in, spreading chaos and slaughter indiscriminately within the Rath's walls.

The human' stronghold turned into a slaughterhouse. Once moments from victory, the Tuatha de Danann were now on the verge of defeat. King Nuadha bravely tried to fight on despite his wounds, but it was no use.

Just when all hope seemed lost, Morrighan appeared with black wings outstretched. With her power, the goddess used her stopped^[sic] the flow of Fomors from the secret passage. Many were able to escape the Rath while the goddess held off the Fomors.

However, even a goddess cannot hold back a whole army of Fomors. They did not stop their onslaught, and Morrighan began to weaken.

With the strength she had left, the goddess cast one last spell. She used her physical form to create a seal, halting the Fomors' passage. The Fomors that had not yet crossed through the passageway were trapped forever, unable to reach us. Only a few stragglers still remained in the Rath, easily picked off by human warriors.

It was only once the last few foes were vainquished and the survivors had a chance to recover that they realized the truth of Morrighan's sacrifice. In sealing the Fomors, she had sealed herself, as well. So great was her love, the goddess had turned her own body to stone.

After the war, in commemoration of their victory and the price was paid for it, humans set up stone statues of the goddess throughout all the Raths of Erinn. But without a war to fight, the structures fell into disuse, becoming what we now call dungeons. So, each time you see a statue of the goddess in a dungeon, you are seeing a symbol of our debt and our gratitude to the Goddess Morrighan.

As for Morrighan herself, without a physical form, she ascended to the land of the gods, Tir na Nog, where some say she watches over us, even now.

We Remember

Even as we enjoy this age of prosperity, we must remember the goddess who granted it to us with her sacrifice. Although she has disappeared from Erinn, she lingers on through the world that she made safe for us.

But perhaps her influence still extends beyond what we can see. After all, although she can only be seen as a statue in a dungeon, some claim that after placing an offering at her statue, they were transported to another place.

In this mystery her way of helping us, even after she vanished from our world? Many think so, and that's why people call her the Protector of Humans, and she is revered by warriors across Erinn.

May we always remember the goddess's sacrifice, and may we ever be blessed by her protection.